Fortress (Forde Family Series Book 2)

by nikki blaire

  “You think so?” Marcus shrugged.

  “You didn’t?” She countered, interested in what lay beneath his nonchalant attitude.

  “I don’t know.” He just shook his head. “I think I have a different perspective on weddings. Marriage too, possibly.”

  “Care to share?” She pushed her water aside.

  “No.” He flatly replied. “But you’re right. It was nice.” He looked off at nothing then his eyes came back to her.

  They seemed to narrow in on her, as if they were playing cards and he was trying to analyze what would give her away. Unfortunately for Marcus, Charlisse had a master poker face.

  “Have you ever had sex with Brandon Bridges?” The question zoomed straight to Charlisse’s chest, blindsiding her.

  Internally, she was shaken by the accusation, but she remained unbothered on the surface.

  “Never.” She responded, but had a counter question of her own since they were going there all of a sudden. “Have you ever had sex with Vanessa Bridges?”

  “Yes. We dated...or something like that. I don’t know if I’d really call it dating, but it was for a while.”

  He looked down at his untouched water, a sign that he was becoming uncomfortable.

  “Then why isn’t she Mrs. Marcus Forde, Jr.?”

  “She’s just not.” He seemed disinterested in providing more of an answer, but Charlisse was too into it now.

  She needed to know more. “What’d you do to her?”

  “Nothing.” He shrugged. “I wasn’t ready and she couldn’t wait, which is understandable.”

  Charlisse decided to choose her next question very carefully. The wrong one would make him close back up and she couldn’t let that happen. Getting to know him felt too good.

  “We’re not always ready for love, but it takes compromise. Were you willing to compromise?”

  “It wasn’t love.” His face was stone and his warmth had melted to a cold nothing.

  “Oh.” She replied, knowing that she had lost him. “Well, what was it?”

  She kept trying to pry, but knew it would be useless. He was all bottled up again.

  “It just wasn’t love.” He repeated, finally taking a drink from his water.

  That was the nail in the coffin. He was done with this part of the conversation.

  Charlisse decided to leave him alone, but she hoped that he would see that she just wanted to let him express himself. It seemed like he hadn’t done that in a while.

  “You can’t keep all of that inside.” She found herself advising, her master’s degree in sociology rearing its head.

  “What?” He asked, just as their food arrived.

  Charlisse was happy to have something to focus her eyes on. Looking at Marcus was too intense.

  “Your emotions and your thoughts. You can’t keep all of that inside.” She repeated. “You’ve got to express yourself. Ya know, communicate.”

  Marcus scoffed. “I’m not a good communicator.”

  He forked his food.

  “Number one, you run a multi-million-dollar business, Marc. I don’t believe that you’re not a good communicator. Number two, you don’t have to be good at it. You just have to be willing to try. You’ll get good at it eventually.” She dared to find his gaze with her own again.

  He was shaking his head. “I discuss what’s necessary. Outside of that, I don’t communicate. Trust me, it’s better off that way.”

  “You’ll explode if you don’t.” She began to eat her own food. “Plus, we all need someone to talk to. We all have to let things out.”

  “Who do you talk to?”

  “My friends, my dad, my therapist, and God.” She swallowed her first forkful.

  The food hitting her empty stomach felt like heaven. Marcus was right about it being good. The vegetables were still crisp and she could tell they were fresh.

  “What about you?”

  But Marcus just shrugged. “Nobody needs to know everything that I think about things. Like I said, it’s better off that way.”

  “I disagree.” She quickly cut in. “Speaking for me, I’d love to know what you think about things. Honestly, everything.”

  And there was that look again. She felt like a dainty little antelope parading herself in front of a starving beast.

  “Everything?” He questioned.

  Her voice was caught again, so all she could do was nod.

  “Well, I think you want me, but you’re scared to say it.” He licked his lips. “And you should be because I’d be lying if I said I didn’t bite. I most definitely do.”

  “And I bite back.” The words slipped out of Charlisse’s mouth.

  “Good to know.” He leaned in closer.

  “Marc, we can’t.” She pulled back and tried to stay firm. “Our circles are too close and I can’t let anything ruin my reputation. I’ve worked too hard.”

  “No one has to know, Charlisse.”

  “But, I’ll know.” She stared at him, then another moment of silence passed between them.

  “Okay.” He seemed to let it go with an unsettled sigh then went back to his food.

  Thank goodness.

  She said to herself, feeling like she was finally out of his clutches. She managed to keep herself together, even though her body warred with her for turning him down.

  She just had to get back to her condo and up the stairs without looking him directly in the eyes again.

  Then she would be home free.

  Two

  “Thank you for the food and the ride. I give you five stars.” Charlisse giggled as Marcus held the passenger door open for her.

  He reached for her hand to help her out of the car, intentionally ignoring the softness of her palm. She had shot him down at the diner, so there was no use in lusting after someone he couldn’t have.

  Someone he couldn’t have.

  The concept was so foreign to him, but he would respect Charlisse’s wishes. Besides, he had never done more than ask before. She said no and he wouldn’t ask again.

  “No problem.” He closed the door behind her then casually followed her to the front of her building. “You good from here?”

  He tried to disregard the allure of sliding his hand further down the small of her back.

  “Uh,” She stopped walking then turned to face him. “Marc,” She took a step closer and her perfume wafted around him. “I just want to be clear about this evening.”

  “What’s unclear?” He kept his eyes connected to hers although they craved to venture elsewhere.

  Charlisse had been a great conversationalist and not afraid to counter him when she felt differently. He appreciated their banter. He was not attracted to “yes” women who agreed with everything that he said.

  “Well, you invited me to dinner, but then, when I said no to...” She paused then bit her lower lip.

  “Oh, yeah, no, we can still meet for dinner.” He grinned.

  He wasn’t that kind of guy, although he wanted to be at times. “Just let me know when you’re free.”

  “Okay.” She turned to dig into her clutch bag. “Here’s my card. My cell is on there.”

  “Thanks.” He stuffed it into his suit pocket. “I don’t have any cards on me, but I’ll call you. Goodnight.”

  He turned to walk away, but Charlisse called out his name. Hearing it fall from her lips made him stand still as stone, like he was cemented to the walkway.

  “It’s not because I don’t want to.” She started to ramble. “I just don’t think it’s a good idea.”

  “You said that already.” He stared at her blankly.

  “And it's fine. My ego’s not bruised or anything. If that’s your concern.” He winked at her. “I’m not turned down very often, but I am familiar with the concept.”

  Charlisse gave a little laugh, which made him smile. Few people got his sense of humor.

  “I know, but it doesn’t seem like you believe me.” She put her hand on her hip, which made him glance at them.


  “I do,” He started.

  “But,” She added for him, which made him laugh.

  “But, I just don’t think it’s a good reason not to do what you want to.”

  “Well,” She crossed her arms. “Not all of us have a last name that opens more doors in this city than Obama. We can’t all just do whatever we please without any consequences.”

  “That’s not true. The Obamas have way more pull than I do.” He had to joke just to lighten the mood.

  His laughter made her join in, but she was still frustrated with him. Sexually frustrated. He could sense it from a mile away, but he wasn’t going to press her too hard.

  “I’m just saying that everything has consequences, Charlisse. The consequence of being me is that you’re saying no, despite wanting to say yes.” He let his head fall. “So, I’ll see you around.”

  He backed away then turned around again, this time forcing himself to walk to his car. He wasn’t going to be a gentleman anymore if she stalled him again.

  “Marc.” He heard his name, but kept walking. “Please don’t tell anyone.”

  That made him stop. He spun around to face her then closed the distance between them in a few short seconds.

  “Are you fuckin’ with me?” He pressed his body against hers, so that she could feel how serious his attraction was to her.

  “Are you coming up or not?” She turned her face up to his and he was spellbound.

  He flexed his hands to release his anxious energy then moved to open the door for her. Marcus couldn’t take his eyes away, as she glided then quickly fell in step behind her. They walked into a large elevator then stood silently until it brought them to Charlisse’s floor. Soon, they were at her door, and then they were inside her condo.

  Charlisse had teased him, but she definitely also had a flair for extravagance. The living room was decorated with light gray, modern furniture spotted with splashes of color that matched the art deco paintings on the walls. The mantel featured gold sculptures and a matching chandelier hung from the ceiling. Nothing was out of place. Everything was pristine, just like Charlisse.

  “Take off your shoes, please.” She called behind her, as she ventured deeper into the living room.

  She touched a button on her phone and dim lights sprang to life then music began to play. Marcus quickly threw off his shoes then followed behind her into what was obviously her bedroom.

  “Damn, I thought I had a view.” He finally found something as beautiful as Charlisse to look at.

  The bedroom featured walls of glass with large drapes that had been pulled back to show off the city of lights below.

  “Oh, thanks.” Charlisse moved by him unaffected by what she obviously saw every day.

  Soon after, he heard the sound of running water. She reappeared pulling at the back of her dress.

  “Can you unzip me?” She fidgeted with the zipper, finally moving her hand out of the way once he was behind her.

  In a second, he had the dress unzipped then watched it fall to the floor.

  “Thanks,” She smiled. “I’m gonna take a shower. Be right out.” She gave him another smile, but he was still slightly unbelieving that this was actually happening.

  He had already counted Charlisse as a missed opportunity. Now, she was standing in front of him in a matching dark purple bra and panty set.

  Purple was his favorite color.

  Did she plan this from the beginning? Is this a setup?

  His mind was going through every possible scenario, but the blood rushing from his head to his other head made it hard to finish even the simplest of thoughts. Let alone conspiracy theories.

  “Okay,” was all he found himself saying then he watched her walk away.

  The bathroom door closed behind her and he was alone again.

  “What the fuck?” His mind was blown.

  He sat down on her bed, the sounds of slow R&B pinging at his ears. Marcus looked at the door again, noticing that it was slightly ajar. He stood up to examine it closer, put his hand on the knob, and then slowly pushed it open. Charlisse was in the shower and the fogged glass outlined her silhouette. His mouth grew dry and his hands started moving at their own behest.

  He discarded his suit jacket, then his tie and dress shirt. His slacks were gone next and soon he was completely naked. He took quiet steps to the shower then gently knocked on the door.

  “I’m starting to think you can read my mind.” She pushed it open.

  “It was a wild guess.” He closed in on her. “You’re terrible at hints.”

  He pulled her against his erection, which was hard to miss.

  “We all have our flaws.” Her eyes looked down then swept back up at his face. “Hopefully, this one is better. Kiss me.”

  He quickly indulged, taking both of her lips into his. The way that they connected was almost magnetic. He felt glued to her, as he deepened the kiss. Tiny whimpers escaped her mouth, which only fed his lust. In a quick motion, he pushed her against the wall then lifted her up, wrapping her legs around him.

  The shower water beat against his back, while Charlisse’s heartbeat slammed against his chest. The softness of her thighs was too inviting, as he fought back the urge to just push inside of her. He knew better.

  All of his life, Marcus was plagued with the fear of a pregnancy scare, especially by the wrong woman. He usually took every precaution, but tonight, he simply wasn’t concerned. Charlisse wouldn’t trap him. She didn’t need to. She already had him where she wanted him. He positioned himself right at the edge, rubbing against her.

  “Wait, Marc. Wait,” She pulled her lips from his. “We shouldn’t do this without a condom.”

  “You’re right.” He intended to release her, so he could get to his wallet to grab one of the condoms that he kept there. But instead of letting her down, he held her in place.

  “Marc, we,”

  “I know.” He didn’t need her to remind him.

  They were being foolish, but instead of following through with what they knew was best, they stayed still waiting on the other to make the right choice.

  “Fuck it.” Marcus pushed himself inside of her then clenched his teeth at the sudden warm grasp that gripped him.

  His mind went blank as warmth and wetness washed over him. For a moment, he couldn’t tell the difference between Charlisse and the water from the shower.

  She let out a slight gasp, as she adjusted to his size then let out a flirtatious giggle. She wrapped her legs around him tighter, forcing him deeper. Marcus let out a loud groan then steadied himself, but she was already moving, taking what she wanted.

  He had gotten in over his head and worst of all was that he had warned himself.

  “Dammit,” She breathed then gripped him tighter.

  That almost made him slip, but he braced himself by grabbing her thighs and spreading them wider. Marcus refused to leave her with any memory of him that was less than satisfying. He thrust his entire length forward and made her back arch off of the wall.

  “You like that?” He regained his confidence.

  Charlisse dug her nails into his back, but didn’t say a thing. He pulled out then squeezed back inside, adding circles, which sent her grabbing for anything within reach.

  “I said, do you like that?” He growled, making her open her eyes.

  Charlisse pulled him closer and then repositioned her legs higher. That was his cue to speed up the pace, showing her no mercy until she started to scream.

  “Yes, dammit, Marc.” She exasperated.

  He was satisfied, but still didn’t let up.

  “Marc, stop. Stop it.” She tried to put space between them, as her body began to quiver.

  “Stop what?” He put her back against the wall again.

  He felt her crumble around him, but that wasn’t enough for him. He wanted her to completely fall apart.

  “Stop making you cum? Hell no.” He whispered in her ear, as her body broke around him.

  Unfortu
nately, he hadn’t counted on her orgasm spurring his own. She dropped her legs just in time, as he succumbed to his own pleasure. Charlisse wobbled a little, but regained her balance before reaching past him to turn off the water. Then, she just stared at him.

  In all honesty, he felt the same, but didn’t know what to say other than, “Round two?”

  As if she didn’t hear him, Charlisse got out of the shower to grab a towel.

  "Here." She passed one to him then padded to the bathroom sink.

  “There goes having straight hair for the week.” She looked in the mirror and ran her fingers through her messy hair.

  Marcus hadn’t even realized that her hair was natural until now as the coils started to reappear from the steam.

  “Damn.” She shook her head then turned back to him.

  “I’ll take that as a no?” He stood there naked and feeling out of place.

  “No, not at all. I just need a break. Do you want some water?” She walked by him with a towel wrapped around her.

  He ambled into the bedroom to follow her, but she had already come back ith two glasses of water.

  “Thank you.” He took the glass that she held out to him, his breath heavy.

  She gulped hers down then went back to staring at him.

  “You’re not married?” She asked. “A girlfriend? Secret children? No one’s going to hate me for this, right?”

  “No.” He shook his head then finished his water. “Why are you asking me that?”

  “It’s just...” She was still staring at him then dropped her towel before coming closer.

  She fell to her knees then took him into her mouth before Marcus could really gather what was happening.

  “Round two, round three, just do what you did again.” She popped him out of her mouth for a moment then peered up at him.

  Their eyes locked and for a second Marcus felt completely weak. This wasn’t sex. This was something else, but he wasn’t capable of processing what was transferring between them.

  He picked her up from the floor then placed her on the bed. Then slowly, knelt down in front of her with his hands digging into her thighs. That was when Marcus decided that he finally deserved an indescribable moment where everything didn’t make sense and wasn’t completely logical.